Governor for air-compressors.



R. H. RICE.

GOVERNOR FOR AIR COMPRESSORS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 18', 1911.

1 ,021 ,21 4, Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses: lnve nl or,

7 I Richard 'H. Fhce.

f H flu-J R H RICE GOVERNOR FOR AIR oommmssons.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1911. 1 ,O21 ,2 1 4; r Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

3 SHEETS' SHEET 2.

IIIIII IIII lllllm Inventor; Richard 'H. Ric ze, b aqtty.

Witnesses v 7 36 Qichar'd 'H. Rice,

R. H. RICE. I

GOVERNOR FOR AIR GOMPRESSORYS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.1B, 1911.

1,021,214. Patented Mar.26,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses: Inventor;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD H. RICE,

OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Governors for Air -.Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for governing the volume, as distinguished from the pressure, of fluid discharged by a centrifugal air compressor and is intended more especially for use where the compressor is employed in blast furnace work. Mechanism for this purpose isshown in my prior Patent No. 919,953,-granted April 27, 1909, and the present invention relates to the type of float which is disclosed in said patent. Said float rides upon the body of fluid entering said compressor,- so that it is responsive to the changes in volume of the column of air passing through the compressor. When the volume of air passing through a given compressor is relatively large and the float is properly proportioned with respect to the inner wall of a fluid carrying conduit, the force exerted by the float on the regulator of the driving motor will be suflicient to readily move the same, but where the volume of air passing through it is relatively small, it sometimes happens'that the force exerted by the float will be inadequate for the purpose I intended. For example, assume the compressor arranged to deliver 40,000 cubic feet of free air per minute as a maximum. The

float at intake will be constructed and arranged with this in view. If now, the out- .put of the compressor is reduced to a small fraction of said maximum, the force exerted by the float will be decreased by an amount dependent upon the decrease in volume.

' My invention has for its ob ect to provide a governing mechanism for centrifugal compressors and their driving motors which 18 efl'ective not only throughout the so-called normal range of operation of the compressor, but also eflective when it is working below said normal range. To state the matter in other words, my aim is to provide a governing mechanism for centrifugal compressors and their driving motors which is effective at all outputs. I aim to accomplish this in a simple and effective manner, and in pursuance of this I provide what may be termed an expanding disk float having means Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed September 18, 1911.

Serial No. 649,907.

whereby the effective area of the disk can be enlarged or decreased at will by theattcndant. Various means for doing this will suggest themselves to the skilled engineer, but I prefer to use two or more sector plates forming an auxiliary disk of larger diameter than the main disk and provided with mechanism for folding up or opening out said sectors to offer a smaller or greater area of surface to the volume of air flowing through the part of the apparatus where said float is located. The mechanism is so arranged that it can be operated while the machine is running.

The features of novelty are hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the intake pipe of the air compressor showing the main and auxiliary disk floats, the latter being expanded to its fullest extent; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the upper portion of the intake shown in Fig. 1, illustrating on a larger scale the mechanism for opening and shutting the expanding disk float. Fig. 3 is a plan view on a still larger scale of this adj usting mechanism; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the expanding disk float; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the main and auxiliary floats showing the latter shut up; and Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the compressor and its operating motor and the regulating devices therefor.

The air compressor is of the centrifugal type consisting of an impeller (not shown).

-ment is located my improved float which is responsive to the volume of air flowing through said intake. This float'comprises a main disk 6 rigidly mounted upon an upright spindle 7 which is capableof vertical movement in a lower bearing contained in a yoke 8 extending across the lower portion of the intake pipe 5. The upper portion of the spindle passes up through an opening in Patented Mar. 26,1912.

the upper side of the elbow 9'which constitutes the upper portion of the intake pipe. The upper end of said spindle is pivoted to a rock-arm 10, Fig. 2, secured upon a rockshaft 11 suitably journaled at one end in a verse order when the lever is moved up or down by the action of the float 6 in the intake pipe.

In order to provide for the proper amount of pressure difference between the upper and lower side of the float when the pressure of the air column in the intake or other conduit falls to a low, value, I have provided an auxiliary float which canbe expanded or. contracted in order to increase or decrease the efi'ective area of the combined float. The preferred construction is that shown in the drawing in which two semicircular plates 19, 20, Figs. 4 and 5, are hinged upon a diametrical line intersecting the spindle 7 just above the main disk 6. These plates are preferably stiffened by peripheral and radial angular bars 21., 22. A link 23 is pivoted to each plate not far from the line of the hinge; the upper ends of said links'being pivotally attached to the lower end of a sleeve 24 which incloses the spindle 7 and is capable of longitudinal sliding movement thereon.- Means are provided for adjusting this sleeve vertically upon the spindle in order to lift-and lower the links 23 and thereby raise the plates 19 and 20 to an upright position as shown in Fig. 5,-or lower them to a horizontal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The plates can be adjusted to stand at any intermediate position between their fully open and wholly shut positions, so that the effective area of the combined-float can be adjusted quite accurately to suit the varying pressures of air in the intake pipe. The means which I prefer to employ for adjusting the sleeve are shown very clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper end of the sleeve is attached to a head 25 in which is journaled a segment-gear 26 meshing with a series of teeth 27 formed in one edge of the upper portion of the spindle 7, which, for a portion of its length, is,

preferably made rectangular in cross sec tion in order to give a suflicient'width to the teeth 27. The segment-gear 26 can be operated by a handle 28, which may be provided with a counterweight 29 at its end, and saidgear is also provided with a means mounted in a socket 32 carried by the head 25. In order to maintain the segment-gear 1n mesh with the teeth 27, a friction r'oll33 may be suitably journaled upon a stud 34 projecting from the head 25 on the opposite side of the spindle 7 from the teeth 27, so that said roll will bear against the rear edge of said spindle; It W111 be observed that by operating the handle 28 the. segmental gear will cause the sleeve 24 to rise or fall upon the spindle 7 and thereby will lift or lower the plates 19, 20, constituting the auxiliary float. In other respects the operation ,of the device is similar to that set forth in my patent aforesaid and need not be described in detail here, except to repeat the statement made that when the air pressure in the intake falls -below the predetermined value, at which the main float 6 is competent to actuate the regulating valve 18 of the turbine, then the expanding disk may be .broughtinto play by lowering the sleeve 24 so as to allow the plates 19 and 20 to project out beyond the periphery of the disk 6 and thereby extend its effective areaso as to increase the pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the combined float to such an extent as may be necessary to enable said float to properly actuate said regulating valves.

I have shown my improved float located in the intake pipe but it can be located in the discharge pipe or in any other suitable. or convenient place.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together and means for varying the effective area of said float. v

2. The combination with an air compressor, of governing mechanism therefor comprising a float which'rides upon the body of fluid passing through said compressor, said float consisting of a disk, and means for increasing and decreasing the surface of said disk. j

3. The combination with an air compressor, of governing. mechanism therefor comprising a float located in a conduit through which air passes, comprising a disk, and

means for expanding and contracting the same. 7

4;. The combination with an air compressor having an air carrying conduit, of governing mechanism therefor comprising a float located in the conduit and comprising a main disk, an auxiliary disk of normally larger area than the mam disk, and means for decreasing the size of said auxiliary disk.

5. The combination with an air compressor, of governing mechanism therefor comprising afloat in a conduit. of the compressor which comprises a maindisk, an auxiliary disk composed of sectors, and means for shutting and opening said sectors.

6. The combination with an air compressor, of governing mechanism therefor comprising a fioat located in a conduit of the compressor and consisting of a disk, a stem upon which said disk is secured, an auxiliary disk composed of sectors hinged upon a diameter of the main disk, and means for shutting and opening said sectors.

7. The combination with an air compressor, of governing mechanism therefor comprising a float located in the intake of the compressor and consisting of a main disk, a stem upon which said disk is secured, an auxiliary disk composed of sectors hin ed upon a diameter of the main disk, an a sleeve sliding on said stem and connected with said sectors for shutting and opening the same.

8. The combination with an air compressor, of governing mechanism therefor comprising a float located in the intake of the compressor and comprising a main disk, a stem upon which sa1d disk is secured, an auxiliary disk composed of sectors hinged upon a. diameter of the main disk, a sleeve sliding on said stem and connected with said sectors for shutting and opening the same, means for actuating said sleeve comprising teeth cut in said stem and a segment-gear engaging with said teeth, and means for operating and locking said segment-gear.

9. The combination of a compressor for elastic fluids, a motor for drivin it, a conduit through which the fluid oi float in the conduit that is responsive to a variation in condition of the fluid flowing therethrough and which controls the regulator, and means for varying the effective area of said float.

10.. The combination of a compressor for elastic fluids, a driving motor therefior, a regulator for the motor, a conduit through which the fluid of the. compressor flows, a main float. located in the conduit and extending partially across it, an auxiliary float arranged to cooperate with the first under certain conditions, and means for moving the auxiliary float to operative and inoperative positions. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of September, 1911.

RICHARD H. RICE.

Witnesses: I

J 01m A. 'MoMANUs, J r.', FRANK G. HA'I'IIE.

the compressor flows, a regulator for the motor, a 

